


Breakfast with Roxillan

by SteveDuck



Series: Travels with The Pilot [3]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Dimension Travel, Dreamsharing, F/M, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-13 06:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21490246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveDuck/pseuds/SteveDuck
Summary: Now Apprenticed to the Pilot, Steven and Connie have the whole multiverse at their fingertips, anything they want to see and anywhere they want to go will one day be in their reach. Any one being so free however simply must have a hound chasing after them. Pilot's hound has caught up, she sees the potential of a future with two pilots, and doesn't like it one bit.Again Pilot prepares to stand alone against the fiend born of his ruined world. This time however he's not alone, he has the crystal gems, but only if he recognizes he isn't alone and accepts their help.The dark strands of this web are fine and numerous, hard to detect before being caught yet if one facet is dismantled the trap as a whole remains in order. Hindsight is 20/20.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Series: Travels with The Pilot [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1368157
Comments: 32
Kudos: 10





	1. Interrupted Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my third story in this series. If this is the first story of mine you have seen, you may find yourself a bit lost so please read the rest of the series, starting with "Supper with the Pilot".
> 
> This story takes place about a week and a half after the end of "Lunch with Mighty Spark".

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven would have had a wonderful dream. But someone wanted to invite him to someone else's repressed memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING FOR CHAPTER 1: Mentions of (nonsexual) child abuse from paragraph 10 onward

Steven was running. He did not run out of fear, but out of exhilaration. He wanted to be at his destination already, he was visiting his girlfriend, Connie.

They had left it about a week before making the relationship publicly known, practically everyone knew already so there wasn’t much point keeping it secret for longer. Connie’s parents had taken it well thankfully. Connie had had her concerns before telling them, but Steven had been confident, after all if they had accepted him as part of Stevonnie, the fusion they had brought into their family, why wouldn’t they accept him as their daughter’s boyfriend.

As he entered Beach City he wondered how he’d get to Connie’s house, it was quite a distance away. He thought about going to his dad’s car wash to see if he would give him a lift in the van or the Dondai but, although supportive, Greg had been giving a lot of somewhat uncomfortable ‘facts of life’ talks to his son since he learnt of the relationship, Steven felt that maybe he could do well to not have one such talk right before seeing Connie.

He thought about catching the bus, but again the idea didn’t appeal. Although Steven was not one to go about finding faults even he had to admit that Beach City’s public transport was in dire need for some care and attention.

Then he had it. He could fly! After all he was dreaming, and he could do whatever he wanted. Why would he need to stop there? Why not fly in style? Pilot’s ship landed on the road beside him and the door in the back opened.

“Come aboard!” The Pilot’s cheerful voice sounded from within the craft. Steven ran aboard but to his surprise Pilot wasn’t at the helm.

“Pilot?” Steven called out. “Where are you?”

“I’m just fixing something!” His voice was coming from the door to the right. “Could you give me some help?”

Steven sprang over to the door but stopped. Something was wrong. Unlike the blue and black sliding door he knew the ship to have, this was an old wooden door, elegantly designed with a silver doorknob. It looked like it had seen better days. Steven checked the panel beside the door. On first glance he thought it read, ‘Pilot’s bedroom’ but when he looked again it did not say ‘Pilot’, the name it read was clearly written but for some reason he couldn’t make it out, almost as if he forgot how to read when he looked at that word.

“You coming?” Pilot’s voice seemed more urgent now.

Steven pulled open the door and entered. The room was dark and bare, lit only by moonlight coming through a large window and furnished with only a bed in the center of the left-hand wall. Steven would’ve thought the room was empty if his empathy hadn’t drawn him around the bed. A child, less than half Steven’s age, sat huddled beside the far bedpost.

When she heard Steven’s approach she turned, clutching her forehead, trying to look very much like she hadn’t been crying. Her skin was gray, and her ears were pointed, a kelmep. Her hair was a darker gray than her skin and despite her covering it Steven could see bandages wrapping her head. She was soaking wet and her pretty white dress was clinging to her.

“Who are you?” She asked, putting on a brave face. She had an accent, British, received pronunciation with a slight Cheshire edge.

“I’m Steven, can I see your head?” He reached out to gently move her hand.

“No! Wait!” As her hand was moved aside Steven saw the part of the bandage she had been covering had been stained black with kelmep blood.

“What happened?”

The girl glanced towards the door as if she thought it may burst open at any moment. “I fell over, in the drawing room.”

“Why are you wet?”

She held her arm. “It was raining?”

Steven drew on the observational skills Pilot had taught him, her dress was wet but the bandages were largely dry, she had gotten wet recently but before she had been bandaged. “But you said you were in the drawing room?”

Feeling herself caught, the girl silently bade Steven be quiet and crept up to the door. She pressed a pointed ear to the lock and listened silently, after a few seconds she crept back. “I didn’t fall, uncle Ulndae threw me in the well for talking back and I hit my head on the way down. I’m sorry.”

“Wha-mnph!” Steven tried to shout but the kelmep covered his mouth with both hands.

“Shh! He’ll hear you. Please don’t tell anyone. Especially not my stepsister, she’ll get angry at him and he’ll hit her again!”

“That’s terrible!” He whispered. “You and your stepsister need to get out of here as soon as possible!” He tried to shift the dream to bring them all to the safety of the temple but he was still in the room when he opened his eyes.

At the same time an idea dawned on the girl. “You’re a human!”

“Pretty much?”

“Did the river people bring you? My stepsister, Roxillan, said that the river people traded with humans sometimes,” Steven couldn’t get a word in edge ways. “You will take us back to the river people, or, or take a message so my daddy will come save us! Have you met my daddy?”

“I, I don’t know. What is he like?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know his name.” Suddenly Steven felt a presence behind him, he feared it may be the child’s wretched uncle but the excited look on her face suggested otherwise. “Roxillan! This boy came with the river people, if you tell him which one’s my daddy he’ll take a message so that he can come save us.”

A woman’s voice spoke behind him as Steven felt slender fingers grasp his shirt at the back. “Is that so darling? Very well. I’ll speak to them outside.” Before he could react, Steven was dragged from the room and the door was closed on the child’s hopeful face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ROXILLAN: The first step of recruitment is to establish sympathy.


	2. Wine and a Muffin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whisked from one dream to another, Steven is fairly sure no part of this night will be his own. Now he meets a new kelmep and she has a plan to make it all better. Unfortunately for Steven, she seems to have a very different opinion on what "better" is, especially when it comes to Connie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mild peril and murder of a villain.

As the door vanished Steven realized he was on the beach with the temple looming over him. He had been released so he turned around. The kelmepi woman before him stood tall and unafraid, her hair was silver, almost white. Her skin was also lighter than the little girl’s complexion, but her eyes were just as dark. She wore a simple blue dress that Steven was sure he recognized from somewhere and had hooked a pair of sunglasses on the neckline.

With a wave of her hand, sand beside her morphed into a glass breakfast table with a pair of matching chairs. On the table were two slender necked glasses filled with what Steven assumed to be grape juice. She sat at one of the of the chairs and took a sip from one of the glasses.

“What about your stepsister? We can go get her and,”

the woman raised her hand before beckoning the boy to the other seat. “You need not concern yourself with her sweetie, it was only a dream of mine and I’m afraid that little girl hasn’t existed for quite some time.”

“I’m sorry.” He said, sitting.

“It’s quite all right.” She smiled. Steven took the remaining glass and raised it to his lips. He quickly put it down, liquid within smelled funny, and he was wise enough not to accept odd smelling drinks from strangers. “Oh, what am I thinking? Having you drink on an empty stomach. I’ll get you some breakfast darling.” Before he could say otherwise, she reached over to his side of the table, more sand sprung onto the table under her palm and formed a glass knife and fork along with a glass platter on which rested an open English muffin topped with smoked salmon and a poached egg. “There we go, eat up!”

The muffin looked perfect, too perfect, it’s grain was uniform, as were the lines of fat on the perfectly elliptical piece of salmon. The whites of the poached egg were perfectly circular, and the perfectly spherical yolk rested in the exact center. The sauce (which resembled hollandaise) was spread perfectly as well, as in the thickness did not deviate, not even by millimeter. The breakfast presented was so perfect in fact it was off-putting. Steven decided to make conversation to avoid having to eat it. “I don’t want to be rude but, who are you? I’m Steven.”

Barely looking towards him she elegantly held out her hand which he shook politely. “Roxillan Ephanta, would be air to Lokelmvir Ulndae’s estate. But this isn’t about me. I see you’re half human but I believe the better species tends to win out and I sense a certain greatness within you.”

“My mom was a gem.”

“Yes… I saw quite a few creatures who that name would suit, some seemed more noble than others, but you, you must be a diamond!” She gasped as she got off her seat and knelt down. “Your Majesty!”

“That really isn’t necessary!”

“Oh, but I have so many questions!” She exclaimed in well-rehearsed awe, returning to her chair. “If I may be so rude to ask but dreams have great significance to my kind and I must know, what does a diamond dream of?”

Steven didn’t see the harm in talking about something as ephemeral as dreams. “Well I was visiting Connie.”

“Connie?” Roxillan interjected. She waved her hand and a shadowy humanoid figure appeared on the table, she gave the side a little pull to give the silhouette a dress, Steven lent forward and it shifted into a shadowy approximation of his girlfriend. “So, you’re visiting this human concubine. Are you aware of the purpose of your visit?”

Caught by surprise whilst attempting to figure out what concubine meant Steven spoke without thinking. “No, I didn’t get there. Pilot had just offered to take me.”

“Pilot?” She was attempting to sound pleasantly surprised the edge of venom found its way through. “How do you know my little friend?”

“We met about a year ago, Connie and I are his apprentices.”

Roxillan put a hand to her chest in horror and leapt up, her chair shattering on the beach. “It all makes sense!”

“What does?”

“I looked around this entire city in your dreams, there are no statues, no enforcers, no servants. I hate to tell you this my dear but she’s holding you back!” She exhaled with distress. “Don’t worry your excellence, I’ve got a deal for you that’ll fix all of this!”

“Fix what?”

“And all I want in exchange is to kiss you.”

“What? No! That is a really weird thing to ask for!”

She pretended not to hear his protest. “I can see you now darling, the greatest Emperor gem kind has ever seen!” All the food and furniture, apart from the wine glass Roxillan was holding, disintegrated. An enormous pink statue in Steven’s likeness erupted from the sand catching the pair in its palm. “First this planet, then the universe!”

Steven peeked over the edge of his statue’s hand to see Yellow and Blue Diamond chained to its base, cowering. “I don’t want this!”

“I understand Steven, being an Emperor is daunting.” She had transported them to the balcony of a great castle. “But do not fear. I will be there to help organize your servants.” Various copies of Pearl, Peridot and various humans Steven knew appeared in the hall behind them in clothing that suggested different servant positions. “And I will keep your army loyal, endlessly!” An Army appeared on the field beneath the balcony, it consisted of copies of Garnet, Bismuth and Amethyst all wielding javelins and long daggers, a black smoke seemed to rise from the Army.

Steven turned to one of the nearby servants. “Pearl?”

“Good morning your Majesty,” the gem knelt to the ground. “How may I serve you? I do hope you’ll let me live again today, if that pleases you.” Her tone of voice was entirely positive throughout.

“Pearl’s my friend, all of these people my friends. I don’t want to treat them like this.”

Roxillan nodded and Steven found himself with her in Connie’s bedroom, Roxillan lent over the bed reaching down but not quite touching its occupant. “I suppose this is Connie? Through human eyes she must be quite beautiful, I must admit she reminds me of my stepsister.”

She left the bedside and picked up Connie’s diary. “You can’t read that!” Steven yelled.

Connie stirred and woke up with a start, she saw the woman with her diary and Steven with his shield, Connie leapt towards and the wardrobe and took out the paper sword.

Roxillan gave her an amused smirk before proceeding to acts like she wasn’t there, flicking through the book. “Smart, playful and physically fit. I can see why you’d pick her my Emperor. But she’s so free willed, you must admit that a thorn in your side. With your help I could fix that.”

“What do you mean by that!” Connie yelled, offended.

“I could make her into the perfect bride.” She continued, ignoring the girl. She flicked over to a page regarding sword training and finally gave a proper look to the young swordswoman. “Or maybe she’d serve you better if she were your personal assassin as well.” She grinned to Steven as if she expected approval.

“Put my diary down.” The girl demanded.

For the first time Roxillan couldn’t mask their disgust, an ornate black spear seemed to stitch itself together in her hand from the shadows between her fingers ending up with an appearance like blackened glass. “The day I take orders from a putrid larva that fell out of a daughter of Embla!”

Her spear fell on Connie, but it met with Steven’s shield. “Get away from her!”

“So this is the thanks I get! All I want to do is help you! You could rule this world Steven, and I’m your ticket there! All I need is a ki-!” Out of nowhere what seemed to be a kitchen knife appeared in her throat, she gave one more evil smile and vanished.

“Who was she?”

“I don’t know, she dragged me out of this really weird dream.” Steven explained the peculiar dream he had had, starting with the strange room he had found on Pilot’s ship. “Then she offered to make me Emperor of the Earth if I let her kiss me!”

“That’s terrible!”

“Also she called you a concubine, which doesn’t sound very nice.”

“I think I’ve read that word somewhere before…” Connie picked up a history book and opened to its table of contents. “Wait, why are the words all blurry?”

“Oh right! I think we are still dreaming.”

“Okay, I’ll check when I wake up. Maybe we should find Pilot when we wake up, there were two kelmep in your dream, maybe he knows one of them.”

“Good idea! See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow.” Connie smiled before giving her boyfriend a peck on the lips as they both woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. Sorry for the inconsistent release days. From now on the story gets updated every Wednesday.


	3. Bird Fly Skyward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven wakes up looking for Pilot, looking to ask questions. When he finds them, he gets very little in the way of answers. Pilot doesn't get away that easily, Garnet has questions to, and he knows she won't accept anything but the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Handling of a dead body

When Steven opened his eyes, he had been planning to find the gems and Pilot. He had not expected Pilot to be the first thing he saw on opening his eyes, sitting at the foot of his bed with Garnet standing beside him. Steven instinctively shuffled backwards and tried to sit up. Garnet came alongside the bed and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, the hand also stopped him from sitting up fully. “It’s the middle of the night Steven,” she said. “We hadn’t meant to wake you.”

“You didn’t. Why is my window open?”

“I thought you might be getting hot.” Pilot Explained. “I can close it if you like.”

“Yes please. I had a dream.”

“Well I’d be very happy to hear about it in the morning but from what I hear you have a busy day tomorrow,” Pilot smirked. “You don’t want to be tired for your hot date.”

“But there were kelmep in it!”

“I’m flattered.”

“Do you know a kelmep called Roxillan?”

Surprisingly to Steven, Pilot didn’t seem shocked by the question. “Yes, she was a noble’s daughter, her parents fell victim to the plague along with most of their servants. Now that I think of it she wrote a song.” The song he then sang was long and despite Steven’s best attempt he fell asleep partway through. Until he convinced Pilot to sing it again at a later time he only remembered a few verses;

_…_

_A knight one dawn went riding_

_After folks who darkness sing_

_Then back she would come riding_

_For the boy who would be king_

_…_

_He waits within their castle_

_When for a dove his tears do shed_

_For the ebon stains upon its plumes_

_Tell him his hope is dead_

_…_

_Bird fly skyward_

_Stars beyond_

_Tell him that his knight is gone_

_Bird fly skyward_

_Tears beyond _

_Tell him that his love is gone_

_… _

The fusion waited silently for a few minutes after Steven had closed his eyes until she was sure that her speaking wouldn’t wake him up. “Explain.” She demanded.

Pilot nodded as he picked up the kitchen knife from the end of Steven’s bed and silently leapt down to the kitchen to wash the black blood off it. Garnet had predicted the strange kelmep breaking in and standing over Steven’s bed before trying to kiss him, she had set up a vigil, so she could confront her. What she had not predicted, as she had never been able to with him, was the Pilot dropping from the rafters and soundlessly stabbing the intruder in the throat. She had immediately demanded an explanation and Pilot seemed willing to give one until Steven started to wake. He had quietly begged Garnet to trust him for a while and not let Steven on about what had happened. Partly out of the trust he had built up with her in the past and partly out of her own desire to keep Steven from seeing a dead body she had helped Pilot shift it around the end of Steven’s bed, out of sight. She had been patient for long enough.

“Tell me why you killed her.”

“She isn’t dead.” He answered putting the knife away, subconsciously gripping his wrist. Although Garnet’s future vision already told her the facts, the gem knelt down and checked the woman’s pulse.

There was none, not even the strange pulling pulse which she knew kelmep to have. “You’re smarter than to lie to me so obviously.”

“She won’t be dead for long.” He explained. “Soon enough she’ll be unspun and re-spun back in what remains of our world, you probably want to take your hand off her now.”

As Garnet removed her hand the body began to unravel into fibrous black strands which in turn seemed to melt into the shadows and disappear leaving only a pair of shoes and a blue dress with two lumps in it. Before Garnet could investigate, Pilot was at her side and had taken the items out. The first was a pair of rather stylish sunglasses, the other was an object identical to what Mighty Spark had requested to burn, Garnet remembered him calling it a black spindle.

Pilot took a pillowcase from one of Steven’s drawers and wrapped it around the artifact several times before handing the bundle to Garnet. “This needs to be burnt immediately.” Almost as soon as the bundle touched her hands, she heard muffled whispers coming from within but she wasn’t quite able to decipher what they were saying. Something about promising eternal love, something else about Ruby’s power, another about Sapphire’s wisdom. “Don’t try to hear what it’s saying, everything it says is a lie. It wants you to think you can make your dreams come true but it just wants you as a puppet.”

“I understand.” Garnet shut out the voices, got up and made her way to the temple door.

“Garnet?” Pilot asked just before she left. “She can’t take stuff with her between dimensions, so she tends to steal clothes, do you know who these belong to?”

Garnet lifted her shades as she checked her future vision. “They belong to the Pizza twins.”

Pilot’s blood froze.


	4. A Long Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxillan is a killer, sociopathic and insane, and she manifested in the Pizza residence. 
> 
> Being a cop in Beach City is normally a surprisingly easy gig. All the residents (bar a certain mute child) behave themselves and any supernatural threats are usually taken care of by the crystal gems.
> 
> Whether or not they know it, the police need Pilot's expertise, his expertise on a monster. Thankfully, Detective P. Iolet is on the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Pilot swears like a sailor when he's not around children, especially when he's stressed. Also mentions of violence against civilians.

Pilot stepped out of Steven’s house to the wooden porch, in one hand he clasped a pillowcase containing the clothing and accessories Roxillan had left behind. Knowing her MO, he feared to even check on the situation, but he knew he needed every piece of information he could get. On his helmet he dialed Kiki’s number.

“H-hello? Who is it?” She sounded shaken but it didn’t seem that she have been crying either, promising.

“It’s me, Pilot. Are you okay?”

“We just had a break in. They broke my dad’s arm when he tried to get in their way.”

Pilot somehow managed to hide the relief in his voice. “Chorus most sonorous! Is anyone else hurt?”

“No.”

“Did they steal anything? It’s just there was a shifty figure running across the beach and they dropped a bag of clothes as I chased after them. I’m afraid they got away.”

“They did take my prom dress and shoes, I think they also took Jenny’s sunglasses to.”

“I’ll bring them over now.”

“Thank you, I’ll tell the officers you’re coming. Bye.”

“Wait the police are there!” But Kiki had already hung up. “Son of a bitch!” He clenched his teeth, stress like this always made his natural, feminine, accented voice come out. He hurriedly paced down the stairs and across the beach. There he snatched the ladder out of the air and climbed into the ship.

He walked to the left-hand door and wordlessly opened his expansive wardrobe. “I take your suspicion was correct?” Axia queried.

“Roxillan has been apparently inactive for more than a year now,” he swapped out his spacesuit for a somewhat expensive looking business suit. “Now a black spindle appears right where we plan to go.” He pocketed a nondescript touchscreen phone which could function as his helmet did. “She’s spying on us, or at least she knows me too well.” He put on a perception filter pair of glasses, picked up the pillowcase and headed back out to the exit.

“Where are you going dressed like that?”

“She appeared in fish stew pizza and the police have been called, if she reappears while they’re there it will be a fucking massacre!” He got back control of his voice, jumped out of the ship, and took off to town at a run.

Yellow tape had already been set up on the outside of the pizza shop with a pair of police officers standing at the door. Kofi had been taken to the hospital already while Nanefua answered most of the questions the officer inside had.

As Pilot approached the crime scene he took on a professional brisk pace. As he came to the door the officers looked down at him, not with malice but with the qualified rigor of someone who knows their job is important. “Sir this is a crime scene please step back.”

“I’ve come with the stolen clothes, Kiki should have informed you?”

“She did. We will take them as evidence and they will be returned to her as soon as this is sorted out, thank you.” As the officer took the bag a very definite ‘now go away’ was implied.

“I’m also here on professional business,” he took out his little white card, “Detective P. Iolet. This goes above the state level boys.”

The officers looked the card over and one of them entered the building before exiting again with a superior officer. “Why is the ADA investigating a break-in?” She questioned.

“If there’s somewhere more private to discuss it I’d be happy to tell you.”

“The kitchen.”

In the kitchen two chairs have been set up already. The officer had been interviewing Jenny, but she had gone upstairs for some reprieve. Pilot sat down first. “So Sergeant, you want to know why an ADA detective is investigating this crime. Well there are reports of an individual matching the description of an international serial killer, wanted in every continent except Antarctica, having been sighted in this city. She operates the same way each time. She gets into a house, no one sees her approach, there is never any sign of forced entry. Then, stark naked she will make her presence known to the household and demand they present her with the best clothing they have. Finally she kills everyone in the household before leaving to begin months of ruling over local gangs or setting up terrorist acts.”

“Everything you say matches up with what happened here up until the point where she murders everyone. She only threw the father against a wall upstairs and threatened everyone else with a spear while demanding better clothes when she came back.”

“She said she’s coming back? Did she give a timeframe?”

“When she comes back to life. We assume it’s a euphemism.”

“Fucking bold assumption.” Pilot muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. What’s your plan now?”

“She threatened to come back, so my officers and I are going to set up an ambush here.”

Pilot stood up. “If you do that, all of you will most certainly die.”

“Then I’ll call for backup.”

“No, I will take care of the ambush, you will have this building and the ones around it evacuated. You will put a sign that says this was done by my authority and that my residence is beside the stone Temple over there and you will post that sign on the door, in and out. You will leave the wardrobes as they are and most importantly you will stand down!” He got up and started to head for the door.

The sergeant’s eyes stopped him. “You aren’t a detective are you? I could have you arrested right now, but enough strangeness takes place here that I’ll be willing to overlook it if you answer one question. Why should I trust in your plan over the strength of my men?”

Pilot sighed as he removed his glasses. For a moment to the sergeant withdrew from the gray skin and pointed ears. “You’re right. I’m not a detective, I’m an interdimensional traveler trying to bring his stepsister to justice, you can call me Pilot.”

“Sgt. Jodie Braddock.”

“Well Jodie, the last person who asked me that question had an army, it was overrun in a week.” He replaced the glasses and left.

Sgt. Braddock raised her radio. “Evacuate the residents of all neighboring buildings.”


	5. A Date on the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven wakes up to find not only Pilot missing but a large chunk of the Beach City. 
> 
> The boy has questions. Where is everyone? What happened last night? What does Pilot think he's doing? What will happen to his date with Connie now?

Steven had woken up in the morning to find Pilot gone. According to Garnet the kelmep had left suddenly shortly after he had fallen asleep. The boy had gone down to Fish Stew Pizza almost as soon as he had made himself presentable, he had been planning to take Connie on their first official date there. To his dismay a police officer informed him that the premises were closed after a break-in.

Looking around, every building on the boardwalk seemed to be closed. “Even Peedee’s tater tot truck.” He sighed. “Wait what’s this?” There was a sign taped to the vehicles serving hatch. Steven read aloud. “This building has been closed and its residents evacuated until further notice. Any inquiries should be made to… P. Iolet! Who can at this time be found under the left elbow of the temple statue.”

Steven took out his mobile and found the matching name in his contacts. “Pilot? Yes. No, I didn’t have any other dreams. Well there is one about dogcopter but that isn’t important, why did you shut down the entire boardwalk? There’s a sign with your name on it. Well it’s one of the fake names you use, the P. Iolet one. Why aren’t you giving me any straight answers today? You tried to distract me with a song when I asked you questions last night. No, I do not want to hear the rest right now. It’s fine, I’m sure you have a good reason. This does mess up my plans for Connie and mine’s first date. That’s not a bad idea. You don’t have to make us pizza. See you in a bit. Bye.”

Steven took the phone from his ear for a moment to call a different number. “Hi Connie, there’s been a slight change of plans. Could your mom drop you off at my house, and could you bring a swimsuit?”

As Steven returned home he noticed what he had neglected to see in his hurry to scope out the restaurant. There beneath the temples left elbow was a large black tent, in front of it was a desk with a little bell and a sign slung over it that read ‘inquiries’. Standing at the desk was a very excited Renaldo. “I know what you’re hiding! Tell me how to withstand the mind control of the crystalline matriarchs.”

“Chorus preserve me.” Pilot stuck his helmeted head out of the tent with a billow of black smoke. “Again, I must remind you that this desk is specifically for inquiries relating to the evacuations not to conspiracies on gem kind.” He looked around and saw his friend. “Steven! You can help me finish the pizza.” The sound of a small explosion came from inside the tent. “Or make a new pizza, I’m not fussy.” Of all the things Pilot was, a pizza chef wasn’t one of them. Seeing that Renaldo wasn’t leaving he extended his arm and placed what seemed to be a lump cheese and of charcoal in his hands. “Anti-diamond, it depressurizes the magneto waves thus preventing mind control.”

“I knew it! Wait until I get a picture of this on my blog!” He headed off reasonably contented.

When Renaldo was gone Steven chuckled. “I can’t believe he hasn’t seen the diamonds living on the beach yet, where are they anyway?”

“I had Peridot and Lapis take them out to sea to distra- I mean give them something to do.” He haphazardly put a closed sign over the existing sign.

“Pilot, you’re acting really strange lately, stranger than usual.”

“You’re right, what am I doing running an inquiries desk?” He laughed.

“Pilot!” His shout took them off guard. “What’s going on?”

“Last night, you asked me who Roxillan was. Did I look surprised?”

“No, how did you know?”

“She was standing over you as you slept, she is the only person who can travel through dimensions with the same impunity as a Pilot.”

“She doesn’t seem very nice, why did she offer to make me an Emperor?”

“Because she thought it is what you would want, she can’t comprehend love, or selflessness. Where the Pilot spreads joy and freedom she spreads oppression and despair. She offered you all that in exchange for a kiss, with that she would have had you. But this is such a drag to talk about, I took care of her and she probably won’t be back for a while. If she hasn’t shown up by this time next week, I’ll portal lock the boardwalk and tell the cops they can let everyone back.”

Soon after then, Connie arrived and Garnet had brought out Amethyst, Pearl and Bismuth to greet her parents. “I’m sorry we’re late, the police stopped us on the road.” Her mother explained. “Is everything safe?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.” Garnet replied.

“So you know what’s going on? The police wouldn’t tell us anything.”

“Pilot knows and I trust his judgment. It was his idea to have the date here when Fish Stew Pizza was closed.”

Priyanka noticed Pilot trying to make himself look as unnoticeable as possible. “What gave you that idea?”

“Well, Steven lives right next to the beach and I have hardly seen anyone go swimming. Ha ha!” He did not look directly at them and his glances suggested worry. “Would you and Doug like to stay here for it, tea in the house maybe?”

“We would but we have reservations. We thought we take the opportunity to have a little date of our own whilst Connie was out of the house, that is if you’re sure she’s safe.”

“Safe as houses! In fact I’m just about to go do life guard duty! You can ask Axi anything else! She’s in the tent! Have fun! Don’t pick up hitchhikers!” With that he sprinted off to join Steven, Connie and Amethyst by the sea where he sat himself on a folding chair and pretended the world behind him didn’t exist.


	6. The Mothers Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Priyanka, unsatisfied with Pilot's explanation and worried for his mental well being goes to talk to Axia. Priyanka can sense the pain of a mother, even when that mother is an AI not known as one. A mother by any other name fears just as strongly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Reference to death and murder

“He isn’t always like that is he?” Doug questioned.

“No.” Said Pearl. “Normally when there’s something in his area of expertise you can hardly stop him from explaining. I wonder why he’s so reserved today?”

Priyanka said nothing, in her head alarm bells were going off. While her husband spoke to the gems, she headed towards the tent. Inside was a battered oven with a worrying number of pipes wires and satellite dishes. On top of it was a horribly burned pizza. Connected to the oven by a wire was the Pilot’s ship. Its doors opened. “Hello Dr. Maheswaran, come in.” She did as Axia invited. A seat was brought in from one of the side rooms by one of the maintenance drones. Around the camera on the drone appeared to be the remnants of a clear liquid. “what can I help you with.”

“Pilot is hiding something.”

“It’s true there is a threat possibly coming to Beach City but the combined force of myself, Pilot and the crystal gems is more than enough to resist it, your daughter will be fine, I promise you.”

“I know, and will your child?”

“Pardon?”

“Mighty Spark said Pilot was a child, human or not I know how to read children. When Connie was eleven there was a bully in her school who targeted her. She would avoid questions about school, change the subject, once she even tried to get herself grounded to avoid going somewhere she knew her bully would be. It took about a week for us to figure out what was going on and all the signs are there on Pilot. Who could make him feel like this?”

The maintenance drone produced a hologram of a kelmepi woman. She was smiling with an air of languid pride, one of her hands waved mockingly at someone the other rested on a spear currently impaled in the head of a human lying face down. “Her name is Roxillan, this recording was made on her last known sighting where she had taken control of the Sultan of Weaibin, she had killed off the entire court just before we arrived.”

“Why?”

“She likes killing and hates humans. They had outlived their usefulness.”

“What happened when you found her then?”

“The Pilot killed her.”

Priyanka was speechless, Pilot had seemed aggressive at times but she had never imagined him to be a murderer.

“It wasn’t intentional.” Axia continued. “He was roughly 13 and inexperienced, he wasn’t even the Pilot yet, he lashed out in self-defense. We found him curled up holding her heart in his hands.” Something in her voice lost the vaguely positive constant tone it often possessed, the lights flickered.

“Her heart?”

The hologram changed to an object that Priyanka recognized as the object Mighty Spark had taken from the swordsman at gloomy Island. “We call it a black spindle, they are all that’s left behind when she dies. People who hold them are encouraged to accept its influence but he just wanted to hear her voice. He missed her.”

“Why would he miss a murderer like her?”

The maintenance drone quivered, the fluid began to run from the camera like tears. “She… She’s…” Suddenly the drone fell to the floor in the ship was momentarily plunged into darkness. The room was then illuminated by a large blue error screen, two eyes appeared on it and began to cry. Uncontrollable sobbing came over the speakers. “She’s his sister!” The screaming voice did not sound like the AI but at the back of Priyanka’s mind she recognized it from somewhere. “I let him kill his sister, and last night I let him do it again!”

“Again?”

“Roxillan is bound up in the ruins of her world, she can't die until the world is erased, so she keeps tormenting him! Every time he defeats her it hurts him. How do I protect him when I’m bound to a ship I can’t even control?” The sobbing continued.

Priyanka sat for a moment, unsure of what she should say. She got up and put her hand on a nearby wall in an attempt to comfort the program while she scanned the room. Her eyes fell on to one of the doors, it was the door that had opened to the training room her daughter had used. “On the way to visit Mighty Spark you told me that my daughter’s swordsmanship training had made her strong, is your Pilot not also strong from his training?”

Axia was calming down. “I know he can stand up to her in a fight, but is what she says, what she does.”

“Well you can always support him emotionally, you’re like a mother to him, anyone could see that.”

“He deserves a mother who can embrace him.”

“But he loves you. I’d say it takes strength to side against one’s biological family for someone who cares for you. I think if you’re with him, he will be okay.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Even if he does need protection, the gems are out there with him.”

“I know...” The sobbing continued for a while before fading away. Axia’s normal voice returned. “Thank you, Dr. Maheswaran. I’m sorry for keeping you.”

“It’s fine. And call me Priyanka.”

“Thank you Priyanka. My goodness! I kept you here for six minutes and 23 seconds! You should probably be leaving if you want to make your reservation!”

“Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Most likely. Roxillan is unlikely to attack in broad daylight and it usually takes anywhere from a day to a month for her to reform after dying.”

Priyanka nodded, left the ship, found Doug and said their goodbyes to the gems before heading off on their date. She decided against telling Doug about her conversation with Axia at that moment in case it ruined the mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PI10T: Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it. Happy holidays to people who celebrate something else! (If you haven't heard of Christmas, please turn to page 272 of the Pilot handbook.)


	7. Ulndae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pilot is behaving oddly and Steven can tell. When he breaks down it will be up to Amethyst to pick up the pieces again before Roxillan attacks. Will the quartz be able to deal with what plagues her friends mind however?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This is perhaps the darkest chapter of this entire story. child abuse, allusion to child rape, vomit, and attempted suicide, along with talk about trauma from the above. If this isn't something you want to read about, I advise skipping this chapter.

Steven and Connie and were having fun in the sea while talking. “So Connie, did you find out what that word means?”

The girl blushed and looked away. “Yeah… I don’t think it applies to me.”

Pilot displayed an arched eyebrow on his helmet. “What word?”

“Concubine…”

“Well of course it doesn’t! Who’s calling you names like that?”

“Roxillan called her that in my dream.” Steven explained.

“Of course she did, picked up that particular insult from her dad.”

“Ulndae’s brother?”

“No Steven, Ulndae himse-” Pilot stopped. “Roxillan doesn’t normally talk about her family.”

“In my dream I first met a different kelmep, a little girl.” Pilot steeled himself to not look shocked at Stevens revelation. “She said Ulndae was her uncle.”

“Oh really, I didn’t know he had a niece, what else did you find out about her?”

“He threw her down a well! I didn’t even think there are people as horrible as him!”

“There are, and none worse than he was. He thought it was an appropriate punishment for talking back, the death of people like him is the only good thing about my world ending.”

Steven paused before his eyes widened with realization. “I didn’t say it was a punishment for talking back.”

Pilot gulped involuntarily. “Lucky guess.” An accent edged in.

“Pilot?” Connie asked. “Could you please remove your helmet?”

“Alright?”

“Steven, does he look like…”

Steven examined his friend’s face, Pilots dark gray hair, almost black eyes, skin tone and even the shape of his face resembled an older version of the girl he had met in his dream. “Yes.” He held out a reassuring hand. “Was Ulndae your-“ before the boy could finish his question, Pilot replaced his helmet, sealed his suit and sped straight past them, disappearing beneath the waves. “Pilot!” Steven yelled, worried.

The gems ran to the beach. “What happened?” Pearl exclaimed.

The children explained the situation to them. Garnets visor flashed at the mention of Ulndae, Pilot had mentioned him before in one of their private talks. “One of us will have to go get him,” she said. “It’s probably best if he’s here when Roxillan shows up.”

Amethyst raised her hand. “I’ll get him.” She followed him into the sea.

Under the waves the gem looks around. At first glance she saw no trace of her friend, then she saw the trails of blue light leading down into the crevasse made by a corrupted gem. She followed it. At the bottom she saw the Pilot, huddled with their back pressed into the wall, convulsing as if he was crying, she jumped in after him.

As he saw her approach, Pilot considered fleeing his friend but as he went to get up she raised her hands peacefully and he lost the will to flee.

Amethyst cleared her throat and released the air from her mouth so that bubbles would not impede her speech before she sat beside him. “So… How you holding up?” Pilot did not respond. “Ulndae must be pretty tough to make you react like that.” Still no response. “Can you even hear me in there?”

Pilot nodded slightly before suddenly turning to her and placing two fingers on her gem. A single phrase appeared on his helmet. “Please go to sleep.”

“Dude, what are you…” Pilot nodded to her before she could finish. “All right, but after we should go up and talk on the beach.” She rested her head against the rock wall and closed her eyes.

Amethyst opened her eyes in a dark void, she took two echoing steps forwards when a spotlight emerged. When she lowered her hand from the glare, Amethyst found a kelmep glaring down at her. His skin was light silver and aged while his hair was a lighter shade of silver still, long sparse hairs grew from the very tips of his ears to which he had attached silver beads. He was quite overweight, bags of fat clung to the body and face of what should have been a slender, graceful figure. He wore white silk robes and much dower silver jewelry, at his hip rested a javelin which he drew and held in reverse. The room changed to be what seemed to be a tudor style hunting lounge of sorts except all of the weapons mounted were daggers and spears and in place of deer heads were those of horses and notably a human head on a spike.

The Pilot’s voice emanated from behind Amethyst, but she could not seem to turn, or move at all. “Ulndae was physically inferior for a Kelmep his age, a result of overeating and a lack of exercise excluding the occasional, halfhearted human hunt with his friends. In a fight I could probably win easily now.” A kelmep child with darker skin and hair walked through Amethyst towards the figure, she gave a glance backwards. “I suppose he was tough enough for me then.” She said in Pilots voice before turning back.

“You asked a servant to identify your father.” The adult kelmep spat.

“Yes uncle,” The child replied in a voice more fitting to her form. “I’m sorry uncle.”

Like a thunder clap Ulndae brought the haft of the javelin across the girl’s cheek, causing her to collapse, Amethyst struggled against the force that kept her still. “Get away from them!”

Neither kelmep seemed to hear her, Ulndae grabbed his niece by her dark gray hair and held her to the preserved human head, the prize of his collection. “Your father is a blasphemous traitor who cavorts with these hideous base creatures, he has probably bred you countless abominations for half siblings! I am appalled to call him kelmep and even more disgusted to admit his offspring as my niece!” He dropped the girl who crawled backwards away from him. He turned his javelin the correct way around and menaced her with it. “If I had not promised my concubine of a sister that I would ensure you survived your first century this is the end I would have been used. Then I would’ve dropped your blood drained corpse into the sewage canals so your river dwelling barbarian father might find you. Get out of my sight!” With that he kicked her across the chest before fading into the void along with his trophy room. The girl remained and resolutely got to her feet.

Again free to move the gem ran up to the girl, there was a large black welt across her cheek and her nose was bleeding yet she forced a smile, she spoke with the Pilot’s voice. “We got away from him eventually, Roxilan and I, lived with a tribe of river people, that’s where I met Meygareath. A couple of years later the plague came and we got separated from the others. Then I got separated from Roxilan. Ulndae was killed while he was in a fit of plague induced madness.”

“How do you know?”

Pilot could no longer fake the smile. “I did it.”

Behind the little girl Ulndae appeared again but he was different, he wore a long white gown, tattered and soiled as if he had been wearing it for weeks. He had lost weight with loose bags of skin hanging from his face, his eyes were glimmering with the dark flames of a man who no longer recognizes what they are doing. Black marks, similar to the scar on Pilot’s face covered the entirety of his exposed skin. His javelin was replaced by a knife.

A simple phrase escaped his barely parted lips. “Just… Let… It… Happen…”

“He caught me. He did something horrible to me. I escaped and he caught me again.” Ulndae seemed to grow impossibly large as he reached down for the girl Pilot was speaking from. Amethyst drew her whip and struck him across the chest. Almost immediately he returned to his normal size as he fell onto his back. Another instance of the little girl materialized out of nowhere, as tattered and dirty as he was, straddling him while stabbing him repeatedly in the stomach with his own knife, the Pilot’s scar had begun to grow under her eye. She was screaming and crying.

Amethyst tried to remove the girl, but her hands kept going through her as if she were a ghost. After what seemed like hours but was likely just minutes, the girl relented, her uncle gave her one more wild look before the lights left his eyes. She rolled off of him, still clutching the knife. She tried to sit up but stopped. She vomited. Eventually she sat up, picked up the knife and held the point to her heart.

“Stop!” Amethyst found her own cry echoed by another.

Mighty Spark, with neither gray hair nor wrinkles but most definitely himself grabbed the girl, causing her to drop the blade and held her up. “Calm down, I’ve got you!” The girl began screaming and crying. “Can you tell me where your family is?” The crying intensified as she began to claw at the scar on her face.

He held her to his shoulder and turned so she could not see the body as he tried to comfort her. She threw up on his shoulder and in broken English screamed between sobs. “Let. Me. Die. I. Am. Ugly.”

He held her out to look her in the eyes as tears welled up in his. “Don’t give up on me! There are worlds beyond this, worlds beyond imagination!” With his free hand he opened a portal to a verdant green field where the Pilot’s ship rested. “Axia! Prepare the spare bedroom! I found a survivor!”

“Right away Pilot.”

Mighty Spark carried the girl through the portal as the ship’s door opened the portal closed behind them and the scene vanished.

Amethyst was horrified. “I hadn’t meant to show you that.” Pilot stated. “Dreams have a tendency to get away from you, and that’s especially true for nightmares. So let’s hear it. Let’s hear how silly it is to be scared of a dead man.”

“I didn’t say you were scared.”

“I am scared!” He yelled as he fell to his knees. Tears rolled down his cheeks and onto the white dress. “He’s been dead for longer than I knew him alive and I’m still fucking terrified of him.” He punched the ground. “The Pilot is meant to be fearless, the old man is.”

Amethyst put a hand on the little girl’s shoulder before hugging them. When she released them, she saw the Pilot she knew. “Mighty Spark has to get scared sometimes. And anyway, Pilot isn’t some ancient title you have to live up to. To us, Pilot is our friend, he’s you.”

“How am I meant to stand up for you guys when I get scared though, how am I meant to teach Steven and Connie the ways of the Pilot if I get scared?”

“We can look after ourselves most of the time, anyway I think you get scared a lot.”

“What?”

“It’s really obvious because you smile like this.” She pulled a big goofy grin. “It’s a real ‘come and get me’ smile!” Pilot imitated the smile on his helmet and tried to smile underneath. “After that you start making jokes of the bad guys and fighting even harder. Being brave isn’t about not getting scared it’s about fighting even though you are scared.”

Pilot hugged the gem close. “Thank you Amethyst.”

“No prob fly boy.”

After a few moments he released her. “We should go, Roxilan could come to the beach at any time, it’s time to show I’ve grown up.”

“Right! You aren’t… That little girl anymore. By the way, what was your name before you became the Pilot?”

Pilot paused. “Can you keep a secret?”


	8. The Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pilot is back, and just in time. Roxillan has sent her servants to collect her prize and the gems can't hit them.
> 
> The problem isn't physical of course, but the gems aren't comfortable fighting humans, and these humans are very familiar. where power and weapons fail, wits and a fast tongue will have to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Brief threat of suicide

When Pilot and Amethyst broke the water surface and walked onto the beach and they were greeted with a surprising sight. Garnet, Pearl and Bismuth was stood in a defensive position, behind them were Steven and Connie. The foes that stood before them were the mailman Jamie and Kevin, one of the few people to have drawn Steven’s ire. “Hand the kids over! We need them!” He yelled.

“Kevin?” Steven replied. “What are you doing here? How did you find my house?”

“This guy led me here.” He cocked his head towards Jamie.

Pilot flashed a smile on his screen at Amethyst before walking with her to the group of defenders. “And why, pray tell, did he do that? What do you want?”

The mailman replied. “Just let us take Steven and Connie to-“

“To Roxilan.” Pilot interjected coolly, “I gathered. She kissed you both and now you believe she’s your ticket to your new wildest dreams, likely darkened versions of more mundane desires.” He explained to those behind him. “Out with it then Jamie, what did she offer you to kidnap children.”

Jamie grimaced awkwardly. “It’s not kidnapping, it’s for their own-“

Pilot made a lazy motion to signal that he was not interested in his justifications.

Pearl leaned forward and hissed. “Why are you so relaxed about this?”

“Because if we take it seriously we will have to do more harm than I care for,” he whispered. “Better to have them talking than attacking and hurting themselves.” He returned to his louder clearer tone. “What was it? You’re an actor. Was it fame? Recognition?”

“Love. With her help Garnet will love me.”

Despite having seen the possibility of advances in her future vision, the answer shocked Garnet. “We’ve been over this Jamie! I’m married!”

“Try to stay calm,” Pilot whispered. “His mind isn’t his own. The words are Roxilan’s through the lens of his nagging loneliness.”

“Ruby and Sapphire are married!” The teen retorted. “And they kindly fused to form a single, beautiful woman for me!”

Steven stepped up to explain that wasn’t at all how it worked when Pilot rested a hand on his head to silence him. “Assuming you succeed here how does taking the only boy Garnet cares for going to land you in her good books?”

“Roxilan is going to make Steven an Emperor.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“When she’s turned him to our way of thinking she’ll have him make Garnet love me, then she will be mine to-!“

“Yes, yes, very interesting. What about you Kevin? My favourite obsessed creepwad!”

“That’s rich coming from you! Under your helmet your hideous, she told me!”

“You know me?”

“Black and blue spacesuit and a massive ego, you can’t be anyone other than the Pilot!”

Pilot made a gasp that started with mock horror and ended with mock joy. “Roxilan talks about me to her minions! I’m flattered!”

“I’m not her minion! I’m on the fast track to be her right-hand man and then Stevonnie will have to kneel before me!”

“When Steven is Emperor… and Roxilan is his advisor… and you are her right-hand man?”

“Yes!”

“At that time… Stevonnie will kneel before you?”

“Yes! What is so hard about that to understand?”

Pilot raised his free hand to reply, lowered it again and then used both his hands to bring Steven and Connie forwards before kneeling between them. “I thought it has it’s been made very clear to you that Stevonnie is a fusion of these guys?”

“Lies! They’re hiding here somewhere!” Suddenly he started screaming to the area around himself. “Stevonnie! Come out! Let’s settle this right now!”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I hate to point out the flaw in your plan but if Roxilan has told you about me you must know that I’m used to a fight, and you Jamie, you’ve seen the gems in action, any one of us could flatten a pair of inexperienced teens like you in seconds, you can’t be her whole plan.” Kevin and Jamie simultaneously pulled out what she had given them. “A pair of inexperienced teens with switchblades, I’m quaking.” Pilot nodded sarcastically.

The teens looked at each other with a combination of fear and regret before turning the blades towards their throats. “Roxillan said this was the only way to make you listen.” Jamie explained.

“Why would you die for her?!” Steven exclaimed.

The boys ignored him, filled with fear as they were. “If you won’t hand them over,” sobbed Kevin, “At least tell my family I love them!”

Under his helmet Pilot bit his lip. Did he trust Steven and Connie enough to follow the instructions he had given them as he had knelt down? That was a silly question, of course he did. But was he willing to put the lives of these boys in the hands of his apprentices? “Alright, calm down. You say that if we don’t let you take the kids, we’ll have your lives on our collective consciences. How could we refuse you? Go on kids, see you later hopefully. You’d better leave that sword here Connie.”

The gems were about to intervene when they saw the crossed fingers behind Pilot’s back. Steven and Connie walked over to Roxilan’s mind-controlled henchmen, Connie went to Jamie while Steven went to Kevin. With relief on their faces they lowered their switchblades and pointed them at the children. “Come with us! And don’t attract attention!”

Despite being disarmed Kevin and Jamie had forgotten to take into account Steven and Connie’s greater combat abilities. In the blink of an eye Connie had flipped Jamie over her and before he could comprehend what was happening was holding him firmly in a pin. With a cry of confusion Kevin turned to his compatriot only to find himself tripped by a shield and then encased in a durable pink bubble, he reached out for the knife only to find it was now outside of his reach, no matter how he pushed the bubble Steven held it firm. He could only shout expletives in the, thankfully soundproof, bubble.

Pilot clapped as he walked over. “Very well done!”

“You lied to us!” Jamie yelled.

“I said I’d give up Steven and Connie to you. I never said they’d let you take them. And anyway,” he waved his fingers. “Crossies don’t count!” He laughed immaturely.

“How do we turn them back?” Asked Steven.

“It won’t be easy.” He replied gravely. “It will require long, complicated - punch them in the head.”

“What?!”

He looked down at the postman. “Sorry about this.” He delivered a swift strike across the back of the head and Jamie lost consciousness. “He’ll forgive me when he wakes up.”

Connie released his limp body. “Why?”

“Sudden loss of consciousness gives the manipulating concepts nothing to hold on to forcing them to dissipate.” He turned towards Kevin, who had shrunk into the corner of his bubble and raised his arms defensively when he had witnessed the assault on Jamie. Pilot raised his fist and then lowered it again. “Come to think of it, does anyone else want to take this very rare opportunity to punch this jerk for a legitimate reason?” All hands present went up. “Okay, keep your hands up if you think you can trust yourself not to unnecessarily drag this out, he just needs to be knocked unconscious, not beaten into a pulp.”

The gems all put their hands down (Garnet put Pearl’s hand down for her), leaving Steven and Connie. “I suppose we could fuse and let Stevonnie do it.” Connie suggested.

Steven nodded and took a step towards his girlfriend before looking at Kevin, one of the only few people he could legitimately say he hated, cowering in the corner of a bubble. “Actually, I don’t think I want to fuse just to hit Kevin.”

Connie shared Steven’s look at the teen. “I… I think the moment is past for me as well. Can you do it for us Pilot?”

He nodded. “Lower the bubble Steven.”

The moment he tasted fresh air Kevin began to scramble backwards. “Get, get away from me! You monsters!”

“Honestly not as sorry about this one.” Kevin quickly lost consciousness.

Jamie awoke with a groan. “What, what happened? Steven?”

Steven stopped shaking Jamie’s shoulder and smiled. “You’re awake! Thank goodness! Pearl! Jamie’s awake!”

The gem came over and checked Jamie’s vitals. “Apart from a bump on the head you seem fine. Are you dizzy?”

“No.”

“Good. What can you remember from before falling unconscious?”

“I don’t… I,” Jamie’s eyes widened with recollection. “Garnet! Where is she? I have to apologize to her! I don’t know what made me-“

“I forgive you.” The fusion said from behind him. “Your mind wasn’t your own. But tell us what happened to you.”

Before Jamie could start a scream broke the relative peace, Kevin had woke up to his assailants helmeted face. “Get away from me, you psycho!”

“Well that’s a fine how do you do!”

Eventually they managed to calm both of them down and they sat on the beach. “Tell us what happened.” Said Pearl. “Which of you did Roxilan gain control of first?”

There was a pause before Kevin spoke up. “I was first. I was at the boardwalk trying to find something that hadn’t been evacuated when this lady with grey skin comes out of the pizza place with nothing but this red dress she had cut at just above the knee and a pair of heels.” he started to gesture around his chest. “She tore the dress open at the top so that it showed off her-“

“Could you please move on from my stepsister’s rack?” Pilot requested, gaining a snicker from Amethyst and a glare from Pearl. “Sorry.”

Kevin continued. “I asked her if she was related to you.” He nodded at Pilot. “She asked how I knew you so I talked about seeing you out with Stevonnie sometimes, she asked about Stevonnie. She started saying that she knew who I was, that she had heard people mention my name behind my back, that everyone hated me. She asked me if I was afraid of dying alone and forgotten. I couldn’t say no.” Tears started to well in his eyes.

“Classic Roxilan,” Pilot murmured. “Figure out who you’re dealing with and tear them apart. Go on.”

Despite himself, Kevin smiled. “She had me crying right in the middle of the boardwalk when she told me she could never forget someone is capable and self-assured as me, she told me she needed me, then she…”

“Kissed you.”

“After that there was no saying no to her. She walked into a police station and came out with a pair of switchblades then we…” He looked to Jamie.

“They kidnapped me. I had just delivered the last of the mail when this guy put a knife to my throat and dragged me behind the Big Doughnut where she got me too. She told us to get Steven and Connie by any means necessary even if one of us had to die. We are meant to take them to fish stew pizza, she’d take them from there.”

“So that’s where she is!” Connie exclaimed.

“Let’s go there and show her what happens when you mess with our humans!” Cried Bismuth.

Pilot quickly raised his hand. “Wait! Something is wrong. Roxilan would have sent you better equipped if she was honestly banking on this plan, she knew we’d snap you guys out of it and that you’d tell us where you are meant to meet her which means only one thing… Ambush! Steven, I need a shield big enough to cover all of us here!”

Steven held out his hand and a large shield appeared in the air. “Where’s the danger?”

“One thing at a time, we don’t know what the danger is.”

“Then why did you ask for a shield?” Kevin demanded.

“I don’t know yet. Shut up! Let me think!” Pilot put his fingers to his temples. “Roxilan prefers to assault than ambush therefore we can safely guess she has doled out the tasks to at least one other person under her control. But who? Missing something. Missing something! Ah ha! Known criminal in the area, boardwalk evacuated yet a woman matching the suspect description can verbally assault a teenage boy mere feet away from the crime scene, said suspect can then enter the police station with no altercation noticeable enough for Kevin to mention and come out with weapons clearly stolen from the evidence locker. Teenager can kidnap a mailman in broad daylight and no police response. The question emerges. Any guesses?”

“Where are the police?” Connie ventured.

“Exactly, I thought she might try and pull off some sort of stunt.”

“Who?”

“Sgt. Jodie Braddock, it doesn’t matter who she is right now but she’s an avid marksman judging from the powder marks on her hands and she has access to a police armory and the evidence locker, which only means, which way do we need to point the shield?” Pilot glanced between the path way to the rest of beach city and the cliff above them, the most probable places the police marksman would set up an ambush for them. He rocked back on his feet as uncertainty gripped him.

“To the left!” Garnet’s voice sounded just as the blast of a pistol rang out.


	9. Arrest and Execution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The police Sargent Jodie Braddock has seen the light. Everything became so clear when Roxillan had kissed her. Roxillan's trickster sibling had deceived her and now two children were under his influence. Jodie had to right her wrong, even if she had to break the laws she upheld, Roxillan was a law greater. As for the trickster, if he resisted arrest there would be a bullet with his name on it.

Pilot lay on his side with his eyes closed, after a moment he realized he had not been shot, his eyes snapped open as he turned to see whether he had truly failed to block Jaime. he was unharmed, surprised and confused, but unharmed. He turned back towards the source of the gunshot, Steven could not have moved his shield that quickly. Something blocked Pilot’s view.

Bismuth raised her fist from in front of the Pilot to her eye level and unfurled her hand, revealing a bullet. “Human technology really has advanced. This thing almost went through me.” She drew herself out of marveling at the piece of ammunition and remembered herself. “What were you doing Pilot! This thing could’ve killed you!”

“It would’ve gone into my shoulder. The ceramic and Kevlar wouldn’t have been enough to stop it from going in, but it would have stopped it from going out and hitting Jaime.”

Before anyone could argue with him they saw Sgt. Braddock step out from behind the rocks she had been using as cover, aiming a heavy duty pistol. “I’ll get her.” stated Amethyst as she stepped round the shield.

“Don’t!” Garnet commanded pulling her back.

“She’s packing armor piercing rounds, she could poof you with a single shot.” Pilot explained before subtly making himself more audible. “She could even poof Garnet and Bismuth at closer range! Therefore!” He took off his helmet, dropping it on the sand. Before anyone could stop him, he had warped around Steven’s shield and stood directly in the officer’s sights. “Am I under arrest?”

“Pilot, get back! What are you doing?” Steven cried out.

Pilot spun around with a goofy smile, sidestepping the bullet Braddock fired on reflex. “Why, I’m trying to ascertain whether I’ve committed a crime!”

Taken off guard by his response, Jodie found herself answering. “I have you for impersonating an officer, trespass on a crime scene and obstruction of justice at least!”

Pilot turned back to her. “Well I have you on… Let’s see; conspiracy to obstruct justice, willfully ignoring teenagers planning on committing kidnappings, collusion with a known criminal, attempted kidnapping, multiple attempted murders, arguably on children! Need I go on?” He gave her a grin.

“You lied. About your sister. You made it sound like she was the monster. But now I know it’s you!”

“Ow. Who said that? And was it before or after they kissed you for no good reason?”

“She’s frightened, and lonely. It’s been so long since she’s been in a universe where people don’t attack her for having grey skin!”

“Really? And once she kissed you, did she act like she was craving your companionship? Or were you a tool in her eyes? I know what it’s like in her grip. I thought the sister I knew from before our world ending had come back to find me, but it wasn’t her.”

“Don’t act like you’re the victim in this!”

“Then who is!?” He exploded. “Her!? Does a victim emotionally destroy a random teenager? Does a victim subvert his mind? Does a victim send to innocent boys on a suicide mission to kidnap children!? Does any of this makes sense?”

She began to tremble before stilling herself and firing a barrage of shots. “Just shut up!”

Pilot slipped past the bullets at warp speed getting closer to her and his face becoming more serious with each shot, he stood about a foot away from her gun with a grim frown. He lowered his voice. “I will not. Silence is the voice of apathy and I will never be apathetic to suffering, not Jamie’s, not even Kevin’s and definitely not yours! Answer the questions.”

She started shaking again. “I don’t know!”

“But you do! You’re clever, just think.”

“I am thinking!”

“No you’re not! You’re listening to that little voice in your head that everybody has, that little voice that says ‘your opinion doesn’t matter’, it’s her megaphone. Ignore it for just a second and tell me. Has she done anything to earn your pity?”

Sgt. Braddock’s eyes teared up as her mind broke free from Roxillan’s grip. “No. She’s a monster!”

“Holster your gun Sergeant, you still have a bullet left and we may need it.”

“So, what happened?” Connie asked, once Pilot had brought Jodie over and explained she was no longer a threat to them.

“People with strong wills or strong senses of reason can sometimes be persuaded to reject Roxillan’s control when the arguments don’t make sense.” He explained.

“Why didn’t you do that to us?” Kevin complained rubbing the spot where Pilot had struck him.

“I tried but didn’t seem to be working on either of you.”

“Why not, are we idiots or something!?”

“You’re teenagers!” Pilot replied. “Your entire hormonal system is telling you to fu…” He saw Pearl look at him accusingly. “Find a romantic partner! When an admittedly impressive physical specimen like my stepsister rocks up, you’re already inclined to get into her… Good books. You’ll grow out of it, don’t worry.”

“All right…” Jamie shrugged. “What do we do now?”

“Well, that all depends on what Roxillan is doing.” Pilot answered. “I assume that you were caught before these two, officer? She caught you by surprise when you returned to the scene of the crime.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“It’s been a while since we last met and I’ve grown more astute since then, it’s pretty safe to bet that she did not expect me to see through her deceit with the first kidnap attempt, expected your attack to be more damaging, she equipped you with the perfect ammunition for fighting gems to an obvious increased risk of detection for herself. So right now she is waiting for the moment she expects you to have caused the maximum amount of damage and have the adrenaline spike subside, without giving enough time for any gems to reform so she’s probably planning on swooping in in say an hour. But this is the perfect opportunity!”

“For what?” Asked Steven.

“All this time, having to kill her in self-defense again and again, but now the cards are all in our hand and we can take our time. Odd question, but was there any particular order you are meant to shoot us in?”

“Now I think back her orders were so horrible, she wanted me to shoot the boys first, followed by the gems.”

“Brilliant!” Pilot turned around. “Jamie, how do you feel about the acting opportunity of a lifetime…”


	10. Springing the Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxillan has given her thralls plenty of time. It was time for her to swoop in and claim her prize. Unbeknownst to her however, Pilot has grown stronger and smarter since their last meeting, and what's more he has embraced the power of his friends. When the forces of domination clash against the bulwark of friendship who will fall and at what cost to the victor? Can short lived humans and synthetic gems really fill the hole of lost family in a young kelmep's spinning heart?

Roxillan approached the balcony of the lighthouse and peered down. Even with her sharp eyes she couldn’t differentiate the individuals below any further than the species level. It didn’t help that all humans look the same, their skin made reddish by their disgusting, animal-like blood. She took a step back from the edge and disappeared in a quick burst of black aether.

In another cloud of quickly vanishing vapor she was stood atop the head of the statue in which the half diamond resided. She thought briefly about how she would have the freakish extra limbs hacked off when she had to this temple remade in her likeness. With another step she was stood in the statue’s palm beside a washer and dryer. “How vulgar.” She muttered, she would never allow servants work to be performed so openly on her statue. She brought herself back to the task at hand and looked over the edge of the hand. There were less gems than she had expected, the diamonds were missing, but that was to be expected, they seemed to be unreliable allies and Pilot probably knew that she would turn them easily. Steven’s skinny servant is missing as well along with the green and blue gems, the soldier with a stone in each hand and the grey one with gaudy hair.

Then she saw something that really excited her, bed sheets, impromptu tarps, from the shape of the mounds and the two bloodstains it was obvious. Her policewoman had been very successful, there lay the bodies of her other human conquests along with the white, green and blue gems. It was interesting they didn’t bleed, she would have to dissect them later to see how they worked.

Her policewoman was standing over the bodies crying, apparently she’d been released from her influence just in time to recognize what she had done, how delicious. the purple runt was comforting her. Steven had an arm around his concubine, his desire to touch the human almost made her wretch, but it did mean that she could take both from the Pilot by taking one, and then she would join her big sister again. Where was she anyway?

Her sharp ears picked up the answer. “Pilot’s been gone a long time.” Said Steven.

“Garnet and Bismuth are with him, they’ll be okay.” The girl replied.

“Will they be able to fight Roxillan.” The policewoman asked.

“I doubt it.” Roxillan appeared on the porch with a smile. “Did Pilot honestly believe that I would wait for her to come and attack?” She began to laugh before another interrupted her.

“No.” One of the bed sheets chuckled. “And I’ll tell you something else I honestly didn’t believe,” Pilot sat up and started pointing and laughing. “That you’d fall for ploy I spent all of a handful of minutes setting up! Come on, you can get up everybody!” Pearl rose from her sheet, as did Garnet, shifting from her Peridot-like shape.

Jamie removed the sheet from himself. “We were doing very well before you started corpsing Pilot!” The joke made Pilot laugh harder.

Kevin looked down at his stained shirt. “Why do you even have fake blood on you?”

“I never go anywhere without fake blood.” Pilot replied seriously before his composure broke down and he started laughing again.

Roxillan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t see why you’re so-“

Pilot interrupted her. “How do I look? It’s been a few years since we saw each other last. Do I look more mature?”

“The only difference I can see is that you seem to have lost any sense of shame at that hideous face of yours.”

“My friends don’t care that I’m ugly, so why should I?”

“You’re not ugly!” Steven insisted.

“You’re right.” Smiled Roxillan. “She’s hideous! To start with she’s a mongrel half breed, then there’s that flag of obvious weakness on her face and then she pretends to be a man, as if that excuses her ugliness.”

“Well at least I don’t stand in the middle of traps and monologue.”

“What you mean?” She felt a warning sensation behind her ears and ducked. A great grey hammer swung over her, Bismuth followed up with a curved blade to her stomach which, though she blocked with her spear, sent her flying through the railing towards the others on the beach.

“Take cover!” Pilot called.

Roxillan turned in the air and thrust her spear downwards. Instead of leaving her hand the haft rapidly elongated until the head struck the sand. From that point, spears burst out in every direction, blowing sand into the air. Everybody sheltered behind rocks and Steven’s shield or simply dove out of the way. In the dust cloud Roxilan saw the illuminated parts of Pilot’s helmet and drew a new spear. Pilot blindsided her with a punch to the cheek before speeding back into the obscuring dust cloud, before she could pursue further she found herself sidestepping a rolling streak of purple flame, it crisscrossed around her kicking up yet more sand so that she could not even see inches before her.

She struck her spear downwards and it took the shock of Amethyst crashing into it. Before she could finish the quartz off with the second strike she found a white spear meeting her black one. Pearl and Roxillan clashed each blocking the others strikes perfectly. Pearl landed a blow that cut Roxilans cheek before sweeping in an arc that knocked her opponent over.

Roxillan looked down the spear pointed towards her as the sand settled. “Surrender before you come to greater harm!”

“I have no reason to fear death.” Roxillan clenched her fist forming spears in Pearl’s shadow, Garnet pulled Pearl out of the way just before they extended into where she had stood.

As Roxillan got up she saw Jaimie holding Pilot’s illuminated helmet, she vanished from Garnet’s assault and bore down on him. She found herself struck in two places, her arm was pushed back from Jamie by Stevonnie’s shield and a bullet had just passed through her leg. She collapsed.

Roxillan smiled at the faces looking down at her before focusing on Pilot. “Well then, get on with it, I can’t teleport or change dimension if I can’t walk, the sooner you kill me, the sooner I can get back to thinking of new ways to ruin your life.”

Pilot was silent. “He’s not killing you this time.” Stevonnie answered.

“Is she having her freakish he-she apprentice to it for her, you know if you keep hanging about with her you’ll have to kill me someday. I wonder how your mothers will feel when you come home from that adventure.”

“Nobody’s killing you.” Jodie stated. “You’re under arrest for attempted murder, conspiracy, child abduction,”

She was cut off when Roxillan began to laugh. “Officer, I can teleport and move between dimensions, if you put me in a prison I will kill everyone inside and then leave.”

Pilot knelt down, turned her over and tied her hands behind her back with a towel. “She’s not arresting you, I am. You may want to turn around for deniability sergeant.” He hefted his stepsister over his shoulder and began heading for the ship. “Something changed after I lost track of you in our dimension, something is affecting your personality, I’m going to hold you in a cell on my ship until I find it and cure you.”

“You expect me to be your prisoner?”

“You have no choice but to be my patient.” He said, marching into the ship.

“That’s what you think!”


	11. Kiki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its been a week since Roxillan's latest appearance, latest defeat, and latest escape through death. For Steven, Connie, and the gems, life goes on, They have their own problems to deal with. White Diamond, the lone ruler of Homeworld, could attack at any time.
> 
> While Pilot is obviously there for his friends, he just lost his sister, again. He wants to talk about it, but he's not sure the gems will understand, and doesn't want to look vulnerable in front of the children. Thankfully, there is a human his age willing to listen. Good thing they both like running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Brief mention of suicide at the beginning, Line 3.

Chapter 11: Kiki

Pilot sighed and shook his head, running silently for a few moments.

“What did she do?” Asked Kiki, running beside him.

“She killed herself, extended her spear right through her skull.”

“My goodness, I’m so sorry.”

“She won’t be dead forever, and next time I’ll know to be more careful. I’m just glad Steven and Connie didn’t see her, she faded away before they could.”

“Do you have any idea how to cure her yet?”

Pilot shook his head again. “I spent the past few days researching but it’s hard without knowing what’s affecting her in the first place.”

Kiki looked towards the setting sun. “We should be getting back, it will be dark soon.”

Pilot agreed and they began running back the way they had come. “But anyway, I’m sorry about the evacuation.”

“You get used to it, living in Beach City. They provided us with a pretty good hotel this time.” They both laughed.

“How’s your dad doing?”

“He’ll live, I’m having to run the register more while he’s in a cast, but the doctor said it should heal in a month or so.”

“Probably sooner with Steven’s help.”

A few minutes later the pair made it back to the pizza shop. “So, what’s the plan now?” Inquired Kiki.

“Oh! I can’t expect to be invited in.”

Kiki blushed. “I meant in terms of your stepsister. You can come in though of course!” She added in response to Pilot’s returning embarrassment. She gestured into the closed shop.

Jenny waved to her sister as she came in. “Hey guys, how is your run?”

“It was good.” Her twin replied. “We went up along brooding hill.”

“And he really ran all that way dressed like that?”

Pilot took off his helmet with a smile. “I sure did.”

“You staying long?”

“Just having a quick chat.”

“All right then.” Jenny headed to the door.

“Where you going?” Kiki asked.

“To find Buck and Sour Cream. I know when my favourite twin needs privacy.” She left.

“So…” Said Kiki. “You were saying.”

“Right. Well it’s hard to do anything with Roxillan until she makes her presence known, she has a whole multiverse to hide in. Meanwhile Steven has plans to go back to Homeworld.”

Kiki gasped. “Why would he do that?”

“He thinks he can convince White Diamond to help heal the corrupted gems and take the other diamonds back. I’ll be honest, I think he’s crazy, but at least he’s promised to do some training so that we can deal with it going wrong.”

Kiki sat quietly for a few moments. “Do you think there’s any chance of changing White Diamond’s mind.”

Pilot smiled. “Well my old man says that while there is hope, anything can happen. And this is Steven were talking about, hope gathers around that kid like flies!” Kiki laughed. “You think I’m being metaphorical, but I’m a conceptual being. There is a literal cloud of hope around Steven, it’s really uplifting.”

After she finished laughing, Kiki stood up. “I should probably have a shower.”

Pilot stood up after her. “So should I. Wait, I didn’t mean it like, sorry! I!”

He was interrupted by a knock on the window. Peridot shouted through the glass. “What kept you!?”

Behind Peridot, Stevonnie was preventing Blue Diamond from accidentally knocking a hole in the establishment while Priyanka was standing beside the fusion feeling somewhat out of her league.

Pilot got up and slapped his forehead. “I’m really sorry Kiki. I completely forgot I said I was going to do some training with Stevonnie.”

“It’s fine. Same time next week?”

“Yeah!” He smiled as he picked up his helmet and exited the restaurant. He waved to his friends. “Sorry! I lost track of time, I’ll have a shower at the temple if that’s all right, and then we’ll start your training.” They began to head back to the temple.

“What kind of training will it be this evening?” Asked Stevonnie.

“Well, if everything goes sideways again, we know we aren’t currently strong enough to fight White head on. So, you need to learn evasion, stealth, and escape.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Blue insisted. “White is a very reasonable gem.”

“She’s declared herself soul matriarch of gem kind and has listed you and Yellow Diamond as enemies of Homeworld!”

“That was… unusual, I grant you, but she’s never usually like that. She’s never so rash or power-hungry, it’s like she was… Why are you looking at me like that?”

Pilot had stopped dead and his eyes had grown wide with realization. “Like she was a different person, like she was under someone else’s influence.”

Stevonnie caught on to what he was thinking. “You don’t think she…”

“If Steven wants to have a reasonable conversation with White, we will have to pull off a heist first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story to the end, I hope you'll catch the continuation of this story next week. As you might have notices "Travels With the Pilot" is my first written work, the next story in this series is where I think my writing really hits its stride. If you like my story, but think my writing is a bit short or just "meh" please catch "Temple of the Paper Gems" next week. Feel free to talk to me, or some of the characters, in the comments.
> 
> Characters who can currently hear comments:  
-Pilot  
-Mighty Spark  
-Roxillan (Considers you to be voices in her head)  
-People currently under the control of Roxillan (Same as above)  
-Mysterious character (Nicknamed Dora Jr.)  
-Sardonyx (Between stories and when fused in story)  
-Some characters not yet identified


End file.
